


Five Times Rhys Kissed Zer0 (and the One Time Zer0 Returned the Favor)

by failureisonlythestart (Celentinia)



Series: Zerhys Collection [2]
Category: Borderlands, Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: 5+1 Things, Agender Character, Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Established Relationship, Fluff, I don't know what else to tag, Massages, Other, Star Gazing, and a super domestic moment between the pair, and a tiny bit of angst but it's not much i promise, but you don't need me to tell you that, liberal amounts of alcohol consumption, maya is a total bro, probably ooc at times but this ship started off as a crack ship for me anyways look at me now, she also kicks a lot of ass, spoiler free, they/them pronouns for zer0 - Freeform, things do get a little steamy but nothing too explicit, this was just an excuse for me to write rhys/zer0 kissing, ugly mercenary day sweaters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-18 02:10:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7295305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celentinia/pseuds/failureisonlythestart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over the course of their relationship, Rhys spends a lot of his time kissing Zer0 for a variety of reasons. Hidden beneath the mask, Zer0 is unable to reciprocate. That is, until they finally take their mask off (and quite literally, blows Rhys away). </p><p>(Loosely based in the same universe as my other Rhys/Zer0 fic, but can be read as a standalone)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times Rhys Kissed Zer0 (and the One Time Zer0 Returned the Favor)

**Author's Note:**

> i sat on this idea for like...over half a year now lmao and i suddenly had the motivation to write this over studying for my exams at the time. feel free to leave any criticisms and point out any mistakes i have made! (i don't have a beta reader and most of this was written at the asscrack of dawn). also, linebreaks in the +1 indication POV switches from zer0, rhys, then zer0.
> 
> anyways it's done now and i hope you all enjoy this self indulgent excuse of a fic :^)
> 
> also, for those who are wondering, helmet-less zer0 in this fic follows roboticbiotic's amazing hc for their face (http://roboticbiotic.tumblr.com/tagged/zer0/) check them out :^))

**1.**

“Okay, Jim. Start from the beginning. What  _ exactly _ happened with the prototypes again?” There was a pause on the other end. Rhys took the moment to pinch the bridge of his nose. He could already feel a headache coming on. As brilliant as the tech department was, Rhys tended to question their legitimacy, especially during times like this. Despite his internal frustration, he managed to keep a level voice. Rhys knew better than to be cruel to the department which, despite their shortcomings, was ten times smarter than him. 

“So, what you’re saying is that you were testing the gun,” Jim made a sound of confirmation, “and it  _ suddenly _ destroyed the entire prototype sector of the lab?”

Jim stuttered, but confirmed the mistake. Rhys sighed, “We’re going to have to rebuilt that entire sector for the second time this month. I can probably get a favour or two from Vaughn again…How much did we lose?”

“ _ Nothing that can’t be replaced, sir. _ ” Jim replied sheepishly. Rhys could tell he was trembling on the other end. Rhys frowned, he went out of his way to be nice to his employees. Jim however, was always on edge. Rhys could invite the guy out for coffee, and pat him on the back and the guy would still be worried about being fired. 

“That’s good to hear. You’re dismissed, Jim. Do whatever you can to make Vaughn’s job easier.” Rhys concluded, and hung up the phone. Rhys rolled his shoulders, wincing at the pain that shot through his body. He  _ did _ spend most of his days hunched over his desk filling in pages upon pages of paperwork, after all. Not to mention how he had a phone glued to his ear during almost every waking moment. 

With a groan, he buried his face in his hands, his mind buzzing with all the things he had yet to do. As gratifying as his work was, being the CEO of a company was  _ exhausting _ . There were times when he explored the thought of being a vault hunter like Zer0, but he quickly dismissed the idea. He felt more at home in a business setting. 

Suddenly, the intercom on his desk blinked to life, a loud beep accompanying the alert. What could his secretary possibly want  _ now _ ? Too tired to lift his head, Rhys stuck out his arm, and flipped the switch above the number pad.

“Yes?”

“ _ Sir, you have a uh, visitor. _ ” came the muffled voice of his secretary. Rhys lifted his head then, eyeing the intercom on his metal desk curiously.

“Who is it? If it’s one of Marcus’ goons, tell him his shipment is due for  _ next _ week, not  _ this _ week.” Rhys grumbled, rubbing at his weary eyes. He brushed back one of the hairs that fell loose from his once, immaculate hair. 

“ _ No, sir. He said his name was… _ ” the secretary’s voice trailed off, and Rhys could hear her whispering on the other end, “ _ Zero? _ ”

“Zer0?” Rhys asked, with a little too much excitement in his voice. Slightly embarrassed, Rhys cleared his throat before speaking again, “Send them up.”

“ _ Are you sure, sir? Isn’t he-- _ ”

“ _ They _ .” Rhys corrected.

“ _ Sorry, aren’t they one of those assassins? _ ”

“Yes, they are. Just send them up, okay?” Rhys answered, trying to contain his joy. He ran his fingers through his hair, and attempted to comb it back into place (somehow,  _ two _ strands of hair fell loose, even though he’d just brushed one back). 

“Oh! And add them to the exceptions list, will you? Thanks a lot, Carol.” With another flick of his hand, the intercom switched off. Moments later, the elevator in front of him dinged. The pristine metal doors slid open, revealing the assassin (who he was happy to call his significant other) stood inside. Their posture was relaxed as they strolled towards Rhys’ desk. 

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” Rhys greeted, walking up to the tall vault hunter. A smile found its way onto his face, as he reached out, and grabbed hold of Zer0’s hand. The two had been dating for half a year now, but Rhys never grew tired of seeing them. 

“Hello. How are you?” Zer0 greeted, and raised their other hand to comb their finger’s through Rhys’ hair. Rhys sighed happily at the touch, tilting his head to give the vault hunter better access. 

“Mm. Could be better. One of the employees down in the tech department blew up the entire sector. No one died, but it’s gonna cost me some money to replace everything.” replied Rhys simply. He was too preoccupied with the soothing feeling of Zer0’s fingers to really care about the severity of the event. Zer0 was momentarily taken aback by how nonchalant the CEO was, and their fingers paused in Rhys’ hair. With a quiet protest, Rhys urged the fingers to continue their motions.

“How often does that happen?” Zer0 questioned with a slight tilt of their head. A bright red question mark was plastered on the front of their mask. 

“More often than you think. I have to call Vaughn’s people here monthly. Speaking of which, I should give him a call...get it fixed as soon as possible.” Rhys mumbled, and reluctantly started to pull away. Rhys felt slightly guilty at how quickly his mind flipped back to business, especially with his partner standing right in front of him. However, a company was a company, and it can’t run itself.

Zer0 had other plans in mind, and grabbed hold of Rhys’ shoulder before he could slip away, “You are tense. Massage?” 

Rhys paused, considering the offer. Something in Zer0’s tone told him it wasn’t an offer, so much as it was a demand. He  _ was _ feeling pretty tense, and he figured the phone call could wait for a few minutes. Finally, Rhys nodded his head. Almost immediately, Zer0 tugged Rhys towards the plush, leather sofa off to the side of his office. With a sigh, he sunk into the comfort of the sofa, then scooted over to give Zer0 room to join him. 

Once settled, Zer0’s fingers were on Rhys’ shoulders, kneading at the tense muscles. Rhys relaxed into their touch, and groaned as their deft fingers dug into all the right places. He felt the tension melt away from his sore, aching body with each rub. For a moment, Rhys allowed himself to forget the long list of things he had to do. By the time they were finished, Rhys felt like jelly in their hands, completely, and utterly relaxed. He rolled his shoulders, and to his surprise, felt no pain, nor did he hear any cracking sounds from his joints. 

“Where the hell did you learn how to do that? Your fingers are magical.” Rhys grinned, turning around to face their significant other. He leaned on their shoulder, feeling more relaxed and at ease than ever before. 

His remark earned a light chuckle from the assassin as they draped their arm around Rhys. The pair enjoyed the rare moment of peace together, which was uncommon due to their hectic lives. Rhys turned his head up, and lifted a hand to tap on Zer0’s mask. Zer0 knew full well what Rhys was going to do, but flashed a question mark on their mask anyways. 

Rhys pushed their partner’s shoulder playfully, “Don’t play dumb. C'mere.” 

Complying, Zer0 tilted their mask to the side, as Rhys pulled them down with a playful grin. He pressed a gentle kiss to the side of Zer0’s mask, thanking them. Although the mask prevent them from actually feeling the kiss, Zer0 still appreciated the gesture. A small part of them wished they could return the favour, but at the same time they didn’t want to remove their mask. Not yet. 

When Rhys was satisfied with his work, a bright red “<3” appeared on Zer0’s mask. 

 

**2.**

A healthy buzz of chatter, and loud laughter echoed from Moxxi’s bar, more so than usual. Rhys, Sasha, Fiona, Vaughn, and the six vault hunters were gathered around the counter celebrating Fiona’s birthday with copious amounts of rakk ale (or regular juice in Kreig’s case). The group was enjoying their sixth round of rakk ale (courtesy of Salvador’s tab), with some more drunk than the others.

Salvador, Axton, Maya, and Fiona were engaged in a fierce battle to see who could drink the most, while Sasha and Vaughn cheered them on. Axton was red in the face, and looked like he was about to throw up. Salvador spilled most of his drink before he could bring it to his lips, and Fiona started to see double. Maya seemed to be unphased by the amount of liquor she was consuming, much to everyone’s surprise. 

“You know, for a girl raised by monks, you can definitely hold your booze.” Vaughn commented offhandedly, watching in awe as Maya chugged yet another glass of rakk ale.

“For monks, they had a surprising amount of liquor on them.” she echoed, slamming her drink down.

“Spent a lot of my days drinking out of their liquor stash when they weren’t looking.” Maya continued, and wiped away the trail of liquid that slipped from her mouth. Maya turned to face Axton expectantly. It was his turn to down his drink. 

He merely gulped at the intimidating glass, and let his head hit the counter top with a thud, “Ugh, I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

“Fine by me!” exclaimed Salvador, who reached for Axton’s glass with grabby hands. The glass was coated with condensation, unbeknownst to Salvador. Salvador’s stubby fingers failed to grip the handle properly, and accidentally emptied the contents of the glass onto his shirt. Moxxi retrieved the tipped over glass with an airy chuckle, and handed him a towel to wipe himself off.

“On second thought, I don’t think I can either.” Salvador grumbled in defeat, attempting to salvage his booze soaked shirt. 

As the birthday girl, Fiona was determined to win, and called for another drink. Zer0 tuned out the loud conversation once more, and turned their attention back to their boyfriend. Rhys and Zer0 were off to the side, having dropped out of the “friendly” competition long ago. Although Zer0’s fast metabolism would have allowed them to outdrink the entire group, they decided to stop when Rhys did (which, was during the third round). 

Being a lightweight, Rhys was hiccuping, and hot around the collar after three drinks. His speech started to slur around the second drink (he was hopeless, Zer0 thought). Rhys was currently invested in talking about the pros and cons of spring loaded bullets. Rhys’ words were barely coherent enough for Zer0 to understand.

“Nononono, you see, spring--hic--loaded bullets mean you’ll have to fire more bullets to injure ‘em, but they’re quieter!”  

Zer0 nodded mutely, indulging Rhys. They barely managed to convince Rhys  _ not _ to replace all of the firing mechanisms of the Atlas guns with his “revolutionary” spring loaded bullets idea. Regardless, Rhys was determined to convince their partner otherwise. Rhys lost his brain to mouth filter when he was drunk, and often spoke without thinking. Hence why nothing he was saying made sense. Zer0 played along regardless, refusing to be the one to take away their boyfriend’s joy. 

On top of his nonsensical rambling, Rhys was practically glued to the lean vault hunter’s side. Not that they were complaining, but it was still an amusing sight to see the normally composed CEO of Atlas clinging to them like a child. Rhys’ most recent comment finished with a fit of giggles, as he raised his hand to order another drink. Zer0 decided that their boyfriend had more than enough to drink however, and pushed his arm back down.

“Wh-wha?” Rhys slurred out, glaring at his partner.

“You’ve had enough, Rhys.” Zer0 replied, gesturing vaguely to prove their point. 

“‘Mnot drunk.” Rhys huffed, crossing his arms. His lips formed a pout, and he flashed his best puppy dog eyes at Zer0.

Zer0 didn’t budge however (though they likely would’ve, were it under different circumstances), and shook their head, “You will regret it later.” 

“Noo, I won’t. You aren’t the--boss o’ me. Who, who’s the CEO of--hic--Atlas? Thaaaaat’s right, me.”  Rhys drawled out, pointing at himself proudly. Zer0 refused, once again.

Rhys frowned momentarily, before his eyes lit up like they always did when he had a “great” idea. Rhys grabbed Zer0’s mask, and tugged their head down. Zer0 let out a sound of surprise at the sudden motion, an exclamation mark illuminating the front of their mask. 

The front of Zer0’s mask was showered with kisses, while Rhys squeezed in “ _ please _ ” between the pauses. Zer0 laughed at the extreme display of affection, gently shoving Rhys’ face away. Rhys’ lips were still puckered, even though his face was much too far to continue their assault. 

“Stop that, you are gross.” Zer0 said playfully. Drunk Rhys was adorable in an endearing way. It was getting late however, and Rhys had to go to work tomorrow. With a sigh, Zer0 tugged Rhys away from his barstool, “Come on, let’s get you home, Rhys.”

 

**3.**

It was well known around Sanctuary that Gaige and Tiny Tina threw the best parties. From birthday parties, to wedding parties (for Janey and Athena), and  _ especially _ Mercenary Day parties. This year’s party was held across all of Sanctuary, spreading joy around the normally dull town. Standing tall and proud in the centre was a large pine tree, decorated with tinsel, tacky ornaments, and of course, a shiny golden star at the top. 

Hidden underneath were dozens of presents, but they were purely there for aesthetic. The true gift exchange would occur at midnight. Each person in Sanctuary was assigned a partner that they would have to gift (Gaige made sure it would only be someone they knew). Lastly, it was custom to wear a gaudy looking sweater (when Marcus refused, Gaige tied him down while Tiny Tina stuffed him into the worst sweater they had). 

Hence why Rhys was currently standing in the Crimson Raiders HQ, laughing at Zer0. They were dressed in a garish red and green sweater that had several dancing snowmen adorning the sleeves. In the centre of their sweater, was a giant pine tree with a sleigh at the bottom. Curled around the collar was a set of gingerbread men. It was truly  _ hideous _ . To add insult to injury, the sweater was two times larger than Zer0’s skinny frame, causing the sleeves to extend far past their fingertips. It made the deadly assassin look so  _ non lethal _ that it brought tears to Rhys’ eyes as he laughed at his irritated partner. 

“D’aw, look at you! My itty bitty widdle vault hunter.” Rhys teased, poking Zer0’s mask. Said mask lit up, displaying a “>:(“. 

“It is quite itchy.” the assassin grumbled, tugging at their wool sleeves. Rhys looked down at his own sweater, and was thankful for the fleece material. His had a much nicer pattern, with a giant green wreath plastered in the centre of his crimson coloured sweater. Granted, it was still tacky, but it was better than the one Zer0 was wearing. Not to mention the lime green abomination Krieg was proudly parading around the HQ with. 

“It looks great on you!” Rhys said between a fit of giggles. The emoticon on Zer0’s mask seemed to burn even brighter. 

“I am miserable, Rhys./Get me out of this.” Zer0 complained with a deadpan voice. Rhys could only laugh even harder. He was convinced the frowning emoticon was going to be permanently plastered on their mask. Admittedly, he did feel a little guilty for poking fun at his partner, but Zer0 took the teasing in stride. Not without some payback of their own, of course. The display on Zer0’s mask suddenly switched off, as Rhys eyed their partner curiously.

They crowded into Rhys’ space and pushed him towards the nearby door frame, earning a yelp from the shorter brunet. Zer0 grabbed Rhys by his hips, and pulled him in closer. Zer0’s fingers teased the hem of Rhys’ sweater, daring to slip under. Rhys gulped, and tried to fight the blush that made its way onto his face (and failed). He turned his face away, too embarrassed to face Zer0 while their fingers were threatening to do  _ naughty, naughty  _ things. Zer0 leaned down, nuzzling the side of Rhys’ face.

“Um, Zer0?” Rhys whispered nervously though he made no move to push away his significant other. “What are you doing?”

“You look good in this.” they replied, voice low and gravely. Zer0’s fingers inched further under Rhys’ sweater, making him shiver at their touch.

“...You’d look better without it.” Zer0 husked into Rhys’ ear. Their fingers slipped under Rhys’ sweater completely, and began to run across the expanse of skin underneath. Rhys whimpered, a sound that was like music to Zer0’s ears. They chuckled quietly, while their roaming hands made Rhys weak in his knees.

“Tell me to stop, Rhys.” Zer0 teased. The vault hunter was slowly tugging the sweater off, fully aware of their friends who were in the adjacent room. Their hands were now running along Rhys’ bare chest, ghosting across the brunet’s pecs. Rhys’ face burned a brilliant shade of red, the sweater suddenly feeling all too hot on him. 

“I--I uh,” Rhys stuttered lamely. His face was burning, the little voice in his head telling him that they shouldn’t be doing this. Despite this, Rhys found himself not wanting to push Zer0 away. He let them slip the sweater off, inch by inch, exposing more of his body to the HQ’s cool air. Rhys faintly registered the sound of someone entering the room, but couldn’t be bothered to care. Not with Zer0’s all too distracting hands roaming his body, sending sparks to his brain with every touch. He was  _ sensitive _ , and Zer0 took advantage of that fact every moment they could. 

Said person wolf whistled loudly, snapping the pair out of their little bubble. Zer0 slowly removed their hands from underneath his sweater, and Rhys could  _ tell _ that they didn’t feel guilty in the slightest. Smug bastard. Stood in the room with them was Axton, who had shit eating grin on his plastered on his face. 

“Sorry to interrupt you fellas. But,” Axton paused, and pointed directly above the pair, “you’re standing underneath a mistletoe. Traditions are traditions, afterall.”  

“Who put that there?” Rhys asked, glaring at Axton accusingly. Axton simply held his hands up, and pointed towards Tiny Tina, who came barreling through the doorway. 

“Ooh, ooh! Are Rhys and Zer0 getting their smooch on? Yes! I knew this would happen.” Tiny Tina cheered, pumping her fists in the air. Axton gave the pair a pointed look, and Rhys turned his gaze back to his partner.

“I hate you, you know that right?” Rhys said, but the words quickly died off when they saw the “;)” displayed on Zer0’s mask. Shaking his head, Rhys pulled Zer0 down, cupping the back of their neck as he planted a kiss on the center of their mask.

“You do know that they’ve been together for a while, right Tina?” Axton pointed out. Tiny Tina stopped dead in her tracks, and stared at Axton with her mouth agape.

“ _ Whaaaaat? _ And no one bothered to tell me? Man I called their relationship the moment Rhys saw Zer0 for the first time!” Tiny Tina cried, exasperated. Zer0 laughed at Tina’s outburst. 

“You’re a dirty, dirty cheater, Zer0.” Rhys said, jabbing a finger at Zer0’s chest. In spite of himself, he tugged Zer0 back down for yet another sloppy kiss.

“Punish me then, sir.” Zer0 whispered into Rhys ear, sending a jolt of heat down Rhys’ spine. Once again, his face was flushed pink. Rhys finally pushed his significant other away. Zer0 chuckled heartily, as Rhys buried his face in his hands.

“I hate you so, so, so much.”

 

**4.**

Rhys paced around the command room of the Crimson Raiders HQ (he spent a surprising amount of time there), running his fingers through his hair anxiously. Maya eyed the CEO warily, a frown tugging at her lips. She looked just as upset as Rhys did. 

“Quit pacing around. You’re making things worse for yourself.” suggested Maya, reaching out to pull Rhys down into the spot next to her. 

He grumbled out an apology, and held his head in his palms. Maya looked at him guiltily. Axton, Gaige, and Zer0 left on a mission several weeks ago, but haven’t returned. Normally, it wouldn’t be a concern. Some missions took longer than others, depending on the task. However, the lack of communication was unusual. Days after they left, no one from the group returned any of their calls. 

Salvador, Lilith, and Mordecai left to search for their friends, leaving Maya and Rhys alone in the base. Rhys was on edge the entire time, ready to burst apart at the seams with each passing minute. He was barely able to focus on his work, and left his secretary to take care of most of his duties. Rhys made a mental note to add a few zeroes to her paycheck.

“You’re  _ sure _ that there isn’t any way we can track them from here?” Rhys asked. He was practically begging for answers.

Maya shook her head, “No, I don’t think so. We don’t have that many tools available at our disposal here.”

Rhys frowned, chewing on his bottom lip, “What if we go to my office?”

Maya stared at him blankly, prompting him to continue, “I mean, there’s gotta be something we can do, right?”

The blue haired siren pursed her lips, but nodded her head. They were running out of options, and welcomed any new idea. The pair left the confines of the HQ, and sped towards the nearest fast travel station.

\--

Rhys was surprised to find the Atlas Corporation building completely empty, devoid of all the hardworking employees. Rhys furrowed his brow, confused. He didn’t remember announcing a company wide day off, and was positive that his secretary would never do such a thing. Maya turned to Rhys for answers, who was surprised to find that he had none.

“Is it usually this empty? Seems kind of odd for a full fledged company if you ask me.”

Rhys swallowed the lump in his throat, and fiddled with his sleeve nervously, “No. This is really strange.”

Maya pulled out her SMG, and gave Rhys a pointed look, “We should be careful then. I got you covered, alright?”

Rhys nodded dumbly, and led Maya through the oddly desolate halls. It was eerie to see the halls that were once full of life to be so empty. Granted, some days were bound to have less employees than others, but he always  _ knew _ who was missing, and why. The current situation was just off putting. Rhys could only hope that his employees were okay. He’d hate to be the cause for the death of his co-workers, especially since the fall of Helios. Maya noticed Rhys’ tense shoulders, and his rigid steps, and reached out to place a gentle hand on his shoulders. The touch snapped him out of his trance, and Maya smiled faintly. 

“Focus, yeah? We’ll find them. Don’t worry.”

Rhys returned the smile, and nodded his head, “Sorry. I was lost in my thoughts for a second.” 

The two remained silent for the rest of the trip, opting to focus on the task at hand instead. Rhys couldn’t help it when his shoulders sagged as he passed Carol’s empty desk. Much to Rhys’ relief, there were no signs of struggle, as Maya pointed out. The ride up to Rhys’ office was quick, and soon enough, the doors slid open. The pairs’ eyes widened at what they saw. Rhys’ office was in shambles. His desk was crushed, and the shelves off to the side were tipped over, their contents scattered all over the floor. There were bullet holes all over the walls, with pieces of shattered glass littered about the office. 

Immediately, Maya held her gun up, ready to empty the entire clip into anything hostile. Everything was still, as Maya’s eyes scanned the room. Just as she was about to lower her gun, a screaming bandit leapt out from behind Rhys’ collapsed desk. Maya reacted swiftly, and lifted the bandit into the air with her Phaselock. The force of her powers caused the bandit to yelp in pain, but Maya showed no mercy. She took aim at the bandit’s head, and held her finger on the trigger.

“Wait! Don’t shoot him!” Rhys cried out suddenly, taking Maya by surprise, “He might know something.”

Although initially annoyed, Maya sighed, and released the bandit from her grip. With a whimper, the bandit struggled to crawl away. The siren stormed towards the injured bandit, and planted a firm foot on the bandit’s back, stopping him short. 

She pressed the barrel of the gun to his head, and spit out angrily, “What. Do. You. Know?” 

Rhys’ eyes widened, and made sure to never piss Maya off (not like he’d ever want to). Maya’s voice was loud and commanding, a startling difference to her soft, and gentle voice he was used to. Rhys could only watch in awe as Maya tried to pry information out of the bandit. When he refused to speak, Maya yanked the bandit’s head back roughly, and dug the barrel deeper into the side of his skull. A small part of Rhys found the sight slightly amusing. He could  _ never _ last this long if threatened at gunpoint. 

Frustrated, Maya redirected her gun, and shot a bullet directly into the bandit’s shoulder. Being an incendiary gun, the bullet ignited the flesh around the wound. Maya dug the butt of the gun into the fresh bullet hole. The bandit shouted in pain, and finally relented. 

“Fine, fine! I’ll talk.” the bandit cried. Pleased with her work, Maya rolled the bandit over with her foot, so he was facing her. Maya kept the gun trained on the bandit’s head.

“Go on, we don’t have all day here.” Maya sneered, “If I don’t like your answers, the next bullet will go straight through your head, understood?”

Rhys could tell it was an empty threat. She couldn’t afford to risk killing the bandit before they found out what they needed to know. Fortunately, the bandit was too afraid to notice. He began to spill the details immediately. The bandit mentioned how his little ragtag group was hired to search the Atlas CEO’s office for a blueprint of the revived Kyros’ Power sniper (the original blueprint was lost alongside the fall of Atlas). 

Their boss had a bone to pick with Rhys (for reasons he couldn’t figure out) and relayed a false mission to a group of vault hunters (namely Zer0), and captured them. They succeeded in doing so by setting off a EMP, preventing the group from calling for help. A grenade filled with sleeping gas made quick work of the vault hunters. Said boss was also responsible for the empty offices, as they issued a company wide vacation period to make it easier to infiltrate the building. However, while the bandit’s group was scrounging around the office, a stout woman with short red hair interrupted them. The woman took out his entire group, and forced him to flee. Presently, he had returned to continue the search that was disrupted.

“Carol!” Rhys exclaimed, interrupted the bandit’s story, “Sorry, she’s my secretary. She’s kind of a badass.” 

Maya merely blinked at Rhys, and prompted the bandit to continue, “Where are they being held?” 

“I-I don’t know! The boss didn’t tell us that.” Maya drove her heel into the fresh shoulder wound, and the bandit yelped, “Okay! Boss mentioned something about taking them to Overlook underneath some bridge.”

“Thank you for your time.” Maya grinned devilishly, and squeezed the trigger. The round was fired directly into the bandit’s head, who stopped struggling immediately. Maya wiped off the blood that splattered on her fingers, and turned to face Rhys.

“Sorry about that. Can't be all goody goody when you’re trying to get information out of someone.” Rhys nodded mutely. Maya beckoned him to follow her, “C’mon, I know exactly where they are.” 

\--

Maya drove them underneath Blake bridge, and straight into a group of threshers. Instructing Rhys to sit on the mounted turret, the pair made quick work of the tentacle clad abominations. Rhys had never been to Overlook, and relied solely on Maya to lead the way. She led Rhys a short distance across the canyon, and stopped in front of a run down metal shack. It was hidden in the far back corner of the canyon. 

“How did you know about this place?” Rhys asked, surprised at how easily Maya navigated her way to where their friends were being kept.

She shrugged, and tugged Rhys through the rusty doorway, “Been here a few times actually. This door has always been locked though, and we never had a reason to open it until now.”

“This group here calls themselves the Cult of the Vault. The name is thrown around so often these days no one really knows what it actually is anymore.” Maya rolled her eyes, and shot the puny lock off the door, “I’m pretty sure this group of bandits are using the name because it ‘sounded cool’.”

“They wouldn’t be the first ones to do that,” Maya chuckled, as she tried to push the door open. The rust around the edges of the door frame prevented her from doing so. Maya heaved a sigh, ripped the metal door off of its hinges using her Phaselock. The door made a dull creaking sound, as it buckled under Maya’s hands. Soon enough, the pair strolled through the doorway, and made their way down the rickety stairs. By the time they were halfway down the staircase, it was pitch black. 

Rhys opened the palm of his robotic hand, and turned on the LED display. Maya seemed to appreciate the light, and thanked Rhys quietly. Each step they took echoed through the stairway, leaving Rhys to wonder when exactly they would reach the ground. Soon enough, the sound of muffled chatter reached the ears of the pair, and they halted to a stop. They were faced with yet another door, that was thankfully unlocked. Maya placed her index finger on her lips, effectively shushing Rhys. She kept her ears peeled, and motioned for Rhys to follow her  _ quietly _ .

She poked her head through the door, and peered into the heart of the base. Situated in the centre of the room, were the three missing vault hunters. Maya counted a total of 5 bandits (ones she could see, anyways), two of which had guns on them. The tallest of the bunch was wearing a mask, covered in vault symbols. Two, slightly shorter members were currently beating on their friends, the sound of laughter echoing throughout the room. Maya waited for the right moment to attack, but sprung into action when she heard the words “ _ kill them _ ”. When Rhys stumbled out alongside Maya, she quickly pushed him into cover as their position was revealed. From behind the couch, Rhys could hear sounds of gunfire.

Maya dealt with the goons with ease, her Phaselock pulling all the enemies in close, and drenching them in slag. Making use of her ricocheting bullets, the room was cleared in less than a single magazine. Once the gunfire was settled, Rhys scrambled out of his spot behind the sofa, and ran towards his friends. 

The three vault hunters were bruised, and littered with cuts. Gaige was sporting a nasty black eye, the edges of the bruise already turning yellow. Axton had a cut lip, and bruises on all over his arms. Rhys’ stomach dropped when he saw Zer0. Their mask was fractured, and their arm looked oddly limp at their side. Rhys practically bolted to their side to further assess the damage. 

“Zer0?” Rhys asked, reaching out to his partner tentatively. When they mumbled something faint in response, Rhys touched a gentle hand to their shoulder, shaking them slightly. 

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” the assassin rasped. Their voice sounded utterly wrecked, and it tugged at Rhys’ heartstrings. Anger flooded his body, but was swiftly quelled when he remembered that Maya already took care of the bastards. 

“...What did they want?” whispered Rhys, inching closer to Zer0.

“They wanted to hurt you, Rhys.” they explained, “The man had a grudge.” 

“So he stole my blueprints, then kidnapped, and tortured my friends?” Rhys snapped, gritting his teeth. His hands were clenched at his sides. Zer0 took Rhys’ hand into their (uninjured) hand, reassuring Rhys.

Axton coughed violently, clutching at his chest, “Yeah, that’s sounds about right. I don’t think they planned on getting us too, though.”

“Assholes.” Gaige muttered underneath her breath, shaking off the bindings around her hands with Maya’s help. 

Maya helped both Axton and Gaige up the stairs, giving Rhys and Zer0 some time together. Rhys’ eyes were bloodshot, and the circles under his eyes were darker than they normally were. Zer0 frowned underneath their mask, guilt flooding their senses. They hated seeing Rhys upset. Zer0 felt even worse, knowing that Rhys was upset because of them. They reached out to cup Rhys’ face, brushing away the tears that threatened to spill out.

“I hate you.” Rhys pouted, placing his hand over Zer0’s.

Zer0 chuckled softly, “I know.”

“Don’t do that sort of thing ever again, okay? I was losing my mind the entire time you were gone!” Rhys said, but he was angrier at himself more so than Zer0. Rhys only wished that he could’ve found them sooner. Rhys brushed his tears away, and leaned towards Zer0. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” Rhys whispered, as he placed a series of gentle kisses on Zer0’s mask, taking extra caution to avoid the fractured areas. He pulled Zer0’s hand away from his face, and kissed each knuckle on their hand, mumbling an apology with each kiss. A smile made its way onto Zer0’s lips, the display on his mask reflecting their emotion. Rhys pulled away slowly, and returned Zer0’s “smile”, the corners of his eyes crinkling despite being wet with tears. 

“C’mon. Let’s get you home.” Rhys urged, helping Zer0 onto their feet. The pair met up with the rest of the group atop the stairs, and collectively headed back towards Sanctuary.  

 

**5.**

It was their one year anniversary, and Zer0 wanted to do something special for their boyfriend. They paced around the living room, hands placed on their mask. Zer0 had two hours left until Rhys finished work, and they had nothing figured out. It was unlike the assassin who always made calculated moves to be  _ unprepared _ . Maya looked on amusedly, holding back a chuckle that almost spilled out. She covered her lips with the back of her hand, and took a moment to compose herself before she decided to speak up. 

“Zer0, you’re never going to get anything accomplished if you keep doing that.” she snickered, an amused lilt to her voice. Maya wondered offhandedly when exactly she became the emotional counselor for both Rhys and Zer0. It felt like she did this sort of thing a lot, calm down the anxious pair of lovers. 

“I can’t even cook.” the tall vault hunter sighed exasperatedly. If they had nails to chew on, they definitely would be doing so. 

“Who said you had to cook? Just take him somewhere nice.” Maya offered, “Sure, this planet is a pretty big shithole, but Pandora has its redeeming qualities.” 

Zer0 stopped their pacing, now paying full attention to the siren, “Well, where would we go, Maya?”

“Overlook is a pretty quiet place during the night time.” elaborated Maya, pulling up a map on the holographic display, “I hear the stars are nice during this time of year. You know a lot about them, don’t you?”

Zer0 nodded slowly. Maya grinned in response, “There you go! Just take him to a nice little cliffside with a great view, and show him how nice of a place this planet can actually be.”

Filled with renewed energy, Zer0 nodded enthusiastically, “You’re the best, Maya.”

Maya shook her head, chuckling gently, “Go get ‘em tiger. Oh! And make sure you clear out all the stalkers before hand. That’d be one hell of a way to ruin a date.”

\--

Zer0 twitched nervously the entire trip. Rhys smiled fondly at them, and squeezed their hand. In all honesty, it didn’t even matter to Rhys where Zer0 took him. He was surprised to see that Zer0 made plans to begin with. It was on the grander displays of affection that the assassin made. Rhys was pleasantly surprised when they first approached him with their plan. 

Zer0 was new to relationships (Rhys was his first stable relationship), and often struggled with conveying their affection. He was patient, however, and was willing to give Zer0 all the time they needed. Granted, they took every opportunity to flirt with Rhys, but it wasn’t the same. Zer0 used to flirt with everyone. Rhys was the first person that learned of Zer0’s more softer, caring side. He was usually the one to approach Zer0, asking them out on dates, and inviting them over. 

Over time, Rhys came to appreciate the subtle hints of their love. Like the one time Rhys mentioned how he prefered milk in his coffee over cream, and the next morning Zer0 had made them a cup of coffee according to his tastes. Or the other time when Zer0 bought him a pen that “never ran out of ink” after he came home complaining about always having to replace his pens. Zer0 was naturally observant, and it showed in their actions. 

“Relax, Zer0. I’m not going to be disappointed or anything.” Rhys grinned cheekily, “I’m just glad that I get to spend time with you.”

Tension escaped Zer0’s body. They thanked Rhys quietly, and was grateful for Rhys’ patience. Eventually, the couple reached the bottom of a hill. Zer0 cleared their throat, and motioned for Rhys to stop. 

“Can you close your eyes?” Zer0 asked, and waited for Rhys to comply. Although he was confused, Rhys shut his eyes.

“I’m going to pick you up.” they informed, before sweeping Rhys off of his legs, carrying him bridal style. The brunet couldn’t help but laugh, it was an all too familiar position. Rhys could barely hear their footsteps as Zer0 climbed up the hill. Moments later, it felt as if the ground vanished beneath their feet. They were  _ falling _ , weren’t they? Dear god. Rhys almost opened his eyes. He forced them to stay shut, however.

“Sorry about that, Rhys.” Zer0 apologized gently, smoothing Rhys’ hair down, “You can open your eyes now.”

Slowly, Rhys’ eyes slid open. He blinked the world into focus, his eyes widening as he took in the sight before him. They were situated on a small overhang, that gave a clear view of the fields down below. The grass was comfy, and the air was crisp, and cool. It was peaceful, the faint hum of crickets was the only sound to be heard for miles on end. There wasn’t a single cloud to be seen, but what surprised Rhys the most, was the large expanse of stars that twinkled against the midnight sky. Rhys’ eyes lit up in awe, and Zer0 couldn’t help but smile at the sight. 

“What do you think, Rhys?” Zer0 asked brightly. Rhys’ joy was starting to rub off on them.

“It’s gorgeous.” Rhys replied, breathless. Rhys’ eyes were glued to Pandora’s skies, the brighter stars reflecting off of his pupils. Zer0 forced themselves to tear their eyes away from his face, and gazed at the stars alongside Rhys. Immediately, they recognized all the constellations. Zer0 found themselves taken back to their childhood, when they spent hours in the night, bored beyond measure while tracking a target.

“That one’s my favourite.” Rhys pointed out, gesturing in the general direction. Zer0’s eyes followed the direction of his finger, and took a moment to search for the name. They frowned however, realizing they didn’t know the name in English.

“It’s called the  _ Andromeda _ .” Zer0 said at last, deciding to say the name in their native language. Rhys shot Zer0 a confused look, earning a chuckle from the assassin.

“The...what now?”

“The  _ Andromeda _ .” they repeated, “It’s Eridian.”

“ _ Ahhndrohlmeda? _ ” Rhys echoed, struggling to replicate the syllables. Zer0 shoved Rhys’ shoulder playfully, and laughed earnestly. 

“Hey! I’m trying my best here.” Rhys pouted, but the frown quickly melted away. “What’re the other ones called?”

Zer0 spent the next 15 minutes pointing out every constellation that they could see, while Rhys butchered the pronunciation of each one. Zer0 worked their way from right to left, explaining the myth behind each constellation. Warmth pooled in Rhys’ chest as he watched his significant other speak animatedly. Rhys found their passion for stars adorable, and couldn't help it when fondness swept through his body. 

“You sure know a lot about stars.” Rhys pointed out, curious to learn about their hidden passion. 

“I had time to learn./I gazed at the stars during/Breaks between missions.” Zer0 said, recalling the memories that felt like they were a lifetime away, “My mentor taught me.”

Rhys simply nodded in response. A peaceful silence filled the air, as the pair enjoyed the company of their partner under star filled skies. Eventually, Rhys turned to face Zer0 instead, a million emotions hitting them at once. Illuminated by a backdrop of twinkling stars, Rhys watched the slow rise and fall of Zer0’s shoulders as they breathed. Happiness surged through his very being, as Rhys took a moment to truly appreciate his partner. They’d been together for an entire  _ year _ . With so many things that happened in between, Rhys never really stopped to think about how much he loved them. It’d been one hell of a ride, but Rhys couldn't ask for anyone else to be by his side.

He found that every time he thought of his future, Zer0 was always there, no matter what. It was a grounding feeling, thinking of Zer0 as a constant in his hectic life. Rhys knew he undoubtedly had a dopey grin on his face, but couldn't be bothered to wipe it off. Zer0 caught onto Rhys’ staring soon enough, presenting him with a red “?”. 

“What are you looking at, Rhys?” they asked curiously, trying to follow his gaze. Rhys chuckled lightly, and turned Zer0’s head back around. 

“You,” he replied simply. When the assassin finally made eye contact with him, Rhys was staring at them with the brightest smile on the face. He wore the same expression when he looked at the stars. Zer0 blinked underneath their mask, feeling their face heat up slightly.  _ Rhys was looking at him as if they were the stars.  _ The LED display on Zer0’s mask was illuminated with a solid red rectangle, reflecting the giant blush they hid underneath. 

Rhys laughed, his head thrown back as his giggles shook his entire body. The sound sent butterflies into their stomach. Even after a year of being together, Zer0 felt like they were falling in love with Rhys all over again. As Rhys’ laughter died down, Zer0 finally managed to school their features into shaking off the blush. Rhys slid his fingers up Zer0’s sides, along their shoulders, eventually resting at the nape of their neck. 

Rhys pulled Zer0 in for a kiss, whispering against their mask, “ _ I love you. _ ” 

Zer0’s jaw dropped, eyes wide from beneath their mask. Rhys spoke in Eridian, words spilling out of his lips fluidly, unlike they were moments before. Zer0 remembered murmuring those exact words underneath their breath as they fell asleep with Rhys in his arms. Rhys sounded unbelievably charming the way he said those words, and made a mental note to teach Rhys more phrases. 

“Where did you learn that?” Zer0 asked, speechless. 

“From you of course.” Rhys replied easily. “Though I’ll admit, Tannis helped a lot. I wanted to surprise you.”

“Surprise me? Unbelievable.” Smiling fondly, Zer0 echoed Rhys’ words, “ _ I love you too, _ ” 

 

**+1.**

Zer0 had been away on a mission for a little over a month now, having to run to every corner of Pandora and back to retrieve the scattered pieces of Moxxi’s tape recorder. Moxxi said it was going to be an “simple task”, but failed to mention the fact that only  _ certain _ bandits carried the parts. Except, Zer0 had no clue  _ who _ . Zer0 was forced to mow down waves, upon waves of bandits, wielding little success. If they knew how tedious of an objective it was, they would’ve opted for a partner or two to help speed up the search. 

The only reason why they were able to keep their sanity during the dull mission was due to their constant communication with their boyfriend, Rhys. Ever since they were kidnapped all those months ago, Rhys never liked it when they went too long without a check up on their status (not that they minded having Rhys checking up on them, it was a welcome change). Just thinking about him brought a faint smile to their face.

Regardless, they were finally finished, and stumbled into Moxxi’s bar at an ungodly hour. They hoped the paycheck was worth it. Zer0 pulled out the fragmented camcorder, and barely refrained from slamming it on the bar’s counter. Moxxi, who was wiping down said counter, startled and stared at Zer0. Realization dawned on her face, as she flashed them a charming grin.

“I knew you could do it, sugar.”

“Take your camcorder./I hope it’s worth the effort/It took to get it.” Zer0 grumbled, wiping the bandit remains off onto their pants. They took a moment to evaluate their ammo pool, and was sad to see that they emptied nearly all of their sniper, and pistol rounds. 

“Here it is. You big, fat, juicy--” Moxxi started, heaving a large bag onto the counter.

“Just give it to me.” Zer0 interrupted, too tired to care about Moxxi’s innuendos. She huffed indignantly, and pushed the duffel bag closer to the assassin.

“Five hundred thousand dollars, just like we agreed.” Moxxi said, “You’re welcome to count it if you want, sugar. But I made sure it’s all in there.”

“Oh, and you have a little something on your face. Mask, thing.” she pointed out, sweeping a hand across her face to prove her point. Zer0 glanced upwards, and sure enough, splattered across their mask was a trail of bandit remains. Heaving a great sigh, they accepted the cloth that Moxxi offered and wiped off the guts of the poor bandit they slaughtered. 

Mumbling their thanks, Zer0 grabbed the handles of the bag, and dragged it off of the counter. The bag was a lot heavier than they expected, but nothing they couldn’t manage. The assassin didn’t bother to count the money, trusting that Moxxi counted it right for them. Slinging it over their shoulder, they bid Moxxi farewell, and headed towards their home in Sanctuary. It was a run down apartment, well under what they could  _ actually _ afford, but it was cozy. Using their free hand, Zer0 fished out the key to their apartment from their back pocket. The fiddled with the lock, struggling to get the key in properly with a bag full of money slung on their shoulder. The key slid in eventually. 

They opened the door slowly, to ensure that the it wouldn’t squeak (they’d been meaning to get that fixed, but never got around to doing so). Sighing quietly, Zer0 dropped the heavy bag off next to their door, and reached up to unclasp their mask. That is, until they realised someone else was in their apartment: Rhys was perched on their couch. The brunet was nursing a steaming cup of coffee, using the pale blue and white striped mug that Axton gave Zer0 as a housewarming gift (it said something along the lines of ‘You’ve got a great ass’). Zer0’s breath hitched in their throat, as they marveled at the sight of Rhys. 

The first rays of sunlight were starting to flitter through their curtains, basking Rhys in a warm, pale glow. His hair was was all over the place, like it always was when he first woke up. The sun turned the tips of his hair a golden colour, giving off an almost  _ ethereal _ look. Rhys’ shoulders were relaxed, and his fingers held a loose grip on the warm mug. Zer0 watched the slow rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, blowing away hints of steam from his coffee. 

The front of the oversized hoodie he wore was unzipped, revealing the plain white t-shirt he wore underneath. The sleeves were much too large on Rhys, pooling around his wrists as the left side hung off of Rhys’ shoulder, exposing his blue tattoos. Zer0 always loved tracing the delicate pattern with his fingers, relishing in each shiver, and gasp Rhys let out. Rhys was staring out the tiny window that rested above their couch, a wistful look on his face.  

The urge to reach out and kiss Rhys hit Zer0 with a landslide of emotion. It was all they could think of, and it turned their mind into a pile of mush. They  _ wanted  _ to kiss Rhys without their annoying mask in the way. The mask was practically part of their identity at this point, hiding their true self from the world. In spite of that, Rhys stuck by Zer0’s side through thick and thin, and they never understood  _ why _ . Whatever the reason, Zer0 was glad he put up with the shit loads of emotional baggage they carried around 90% of the time.

Zer0 pushed aside their intrusive thoughts, and quietly greeted Rhys, not wanting to startle him, “Hello, Rhys.”

Rhys blinked, and stared at Zer0 with his doe like eyes. “You’re back.”

“An entire month later,” Zer0 joked. They removed their pistols from their holsters, and slid their sniper rifles off of their back, placing them gently on their respective racks. “Didn’t expect to see you.”

Rhys chuckled lightly, “Yeah, sorry about that. Hope you don’t mind me being here.”

“I missed you. Sure it isn’t quite the same, but being here helped me miss you a little less, I suppose.” Rhys explained, and set his cup of coffee down on the wooden table in front of him. “You’re welcome to join me on this couch. It is technically  _ yours _ , afterall.”

“Can I try something?” they asked tentatively, changing the subject. Zer0 wasn't sure if they could stop themselves from making a poor decision (kissing Rhys silly) if they stepped any closer. 

Rhys furrowed his brows, confused, “Sure. What is it?”

“Promise me you won't look, first.” Zer0 said quietly, not trusting their voice to remain steady if they spoke any loudly.  _ God _ , they were acting like a child with a schoolgirl crush. They’re a  _ trained assassin _ , for Godsake. Assassins weren't supposed to get worked up over little things like  _ kisses _ (they were lying, of course, kisses were a pretty big deal). 

“Of course,” Rhys replied with ease, as his eyes fluttered shut. The assassin was surprised at how quickly he’d trusted them. Zer0 huffed inwardly, it was almost unfair how good of a person Rhys was. Their heart started to race at a mile a minute. Slowly, but surely, they approached Rhys. They reached behind their mask, hooking their fingers under the leather band that helped hide their face from the world. 

Zer0’s fingers froze as they began to have last minute doubts. What if Rhys was disgusted with what he saw? And ultimately, was it worth the risk? They thought back to all the little moments they shared with Rhys, and noticed that Rhys never had anything negative to say about their background. Instead, he welcomed the difference with open arms, even going so far as to learn a few phrases in Eridian (Zer0 would never forget it when he said ‘I love you’ in their native language). Casting aside all their doubts, Zer0 pulled off their mask with one fluid motion. The mask tended to get stuffy under the blazing hot sun of Pandora, and they cherished the moments when they could shed it. Unsure of how to approach the situation, they stood next to the coffee table, awkwardly. 

_ Now isn't the time to be having doubts _ , Zer0 mentally scolded themselves. Without their mask washing out the colours they saw, Rhys managed to be ten times as beautiful. Zer0 sunk into the shitty couch, and scooted closer to Rhys. From this distance, they could feel his breath against their face. Rhys’ soft, pink lips were slightly parted, tempting Zer0. 

Gently, Zer0 cupped Rhys’ face, and crossed the remaining gap between them. Rhys let out a quiet yelp of surprise. Zer0 would’ve pulled away, if it weren't for the arms around their neck holding them close. Zer0 could only describe the feeling of Rhys’ lips as  _ perfect _ . Rhys’ kisses on their mask could never compare to the real deal. Deciding to test the water first, they took Rhys’ bottom lip between their teeth (they made sure to keep their sharp canines out of the way), gently nipping and sucking at it. Rhys groaned in response, and Zer0 greedily drank up the sounds. When Rhys parted his lips, Zer0 took it as permission to enter, and slipped their tongue in. 

Rhys tasted sweet, the hints of coffee in his mouth driving Zer0 insane (thank god for the mint gum they chewed earlier). It was so perfectly  _ Rhys,  _ and they couldn't get enough if it. Zer0 ran their tongue against Rhys’, slowly dedicating it to memorizing every inch of his mouth. When they finally pulled apart, the two were gasping for air. Rhys’ face was flushed an adorable pink colour, his pink lips slick with spit. Rhys still had his eyes closed. Zer0 blinked, fondness hitting their heart like a train. Rhys must’ve clued in on the fact that Zer0 took off their mask, kissed him silly, but he still kept his end of the promise. 

“Open your eyes, Rhys.” Zer0 said at last, hoping the  _ if you want _ was implied. 

“Are you sure? ‘Cause I'm fine with not knowing, I'm just glad I got to kiss you. I mean, you don't have to show me your face if you don't want to--” Rhys babbled, waving his hands around aimlessly. Zer0 chuckled, and grabbed hold of Rhys’ hands. 

“I want to show you.” 

\--

Slowly, Rhys opened his eyes, straining against the bright sunlight. Rhys was...speechless. The first thing he noticed was how  _ pretty _ Zer0’s eyes were. The sunlight in the room reflected against Zer0’s eyes made them look like they were glowing. They were a pale blue colour, and Rhys had never seen anything like it. Scars littered their face, running across their nose, lips, and eye. The scars left behind deep cuts, but were long since healed. 

“Can I...touch?” Rhys asked. Zer0 nodded wordlessly. 

Tentatively, Rhys reached out to feel the scars, eventually resting his hand against Zer0’s cheek. The skin there was darker than the rest of their face, and was slightly rough to the touch, but not unpleasantly so. White patterns decorated the sides of their head, and Rhys traced along the lines, ever so slowly. Rhys moved his hand to their nose, running his finger along the bridge, following the curve at the tip. Rhys’ eyes were drawn to pair of glowing dots adjacent to the bridge, and reached out to poke it. Rhys quickly drew his hand away when Zer0’s breath hitched at the touch.  _ Sensitive. _

Zer0 remained silent the entire time, their face calm, and composed. However, even Rhys could tell it was slightly forced. Their lips were drawn in a tight line, and their right eye twitched ever so slightly as Rhys’ gaze swept over their face. Zer0 was  _ nervous _ , and Rhys could only imagine why. 

“You’re actually kind of cute.” Rhys said at last, a bright grin making its way onto his face. Zer0 returned the gesture, a faint, almost  _ shy _ smile tugging at the corners of their lips. Rhys almost forgot to breathe when they smiled back, his breath catching in his throat.  _ Man,  _ he was in deep. 

“Yeah, scratch that you’re  _ really _ cute.” Rhys corrected himself. The look on Zer0’s face morphed into one of confusion.

“You’re not...disgusted?” they asked softly, voice barely above a whisper.

“Disgusted? No, no!” Rhys shook his head, and looked at Zer0 earnestly, “You’re not  _ ugly _ Zer0, never.”

Zer0’s shy smile quickly shifted into one far more smug, one that exposed their sharp canines and their blue tongue that was capable of making Rhys lose his mind. They ran their tongue along the lips, and Rhys’ eyes followed its every movement.

“If not ugly, then what, Rhys?” Zer0 prodded, a mischievous glint in their eyes. It took Rhys several moments to catch onto their intentions, but he laughed either way.

“You--I see what you’re trying to do. Fine, I’ll bite.” Rhys chuckled, his laughter quieting down into a fond smile, “I think your nose is really cute, that your eyes are gorgeous beyond belief, and that you’re so attractive that I forgot to breathe at times.”

“I. Wow.” It was Zer0’s turn to be speechless. The assassin felt a blush slowly creep up their face, painting their cheeks a pale pink. Sure, they expected Rhys to say a few nice things, but they never expected him to genuinely compliment them. 

“I also kind of really want to kiss you right now,” Rhys said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck,”if that’s okay with you.”

Zer0 had other plans in mind, however, as they inched closer to Rhys’ face. Instead of planting a gentle kiss on his lips, they left a trail of sloppy ones along Rhys’ jaw, slowly progressing towards his neck. Rhys shuddered, losing himself to the sensation. Zer0 kissed along his collarbone, their tongue darting out to gently outline his tattoos. They bit down on the pale flesh, rewarding them a gasp of pleasure from Rhys. The assassin nipped at Rhys’ collarbone, placing soothing kisses over the bruises that were already starting to bloom. Rhys’ hands were gripping the back of Zer0’s suit tightly, his breath growing shallower by the minute. 

Zer0 finally leaned back, and admired the work they made of Rhys. His breathing was ragged and uneven, a litter of hickeys scattered all over throat. Rhys chuckled airily, trying to catch his breath. 

“Not quite what I had in mind when I said ‘kissing’, but I certainly enjoyed your idea more.” Rhys joked, slightly breathless and feeling significantly warmer. He remained silent for a moment, trying to figure out what he wanted to say next.

“You know, it’s kind of funny.” he started. Zer0 shot him a curious look, and Rhys smiled in response. “I’ve been trying to figure out what you looked like under the mask this entire time.”

“Understandable.” came Zer0’s short response. “What were some of your theories?”

“Well, I knew you weren’t human. That lead me to believe you hid a robotic skag head underneath that mask of yours.” Rhys said casually, while Zer0 shot them an offended look. Rhys struggled to keep a straight face at their reaction, but his laughter came bubbling out anyways. He imagined the emoticon on their mask right now would’ve been a “>:|”.  

“I can’t believe you.” Zer0 shook their head, but the smile on their lips betrayed their words. 

“I thought you had a third eye, or maybe two mouths. I don’t remember exactly, a lot of these conversations took place while I was hammered with Vaughn.” Rhys admitted sheepishly. “Anyways, that’s not the point.”

“What I’m trying to say is, I wasted so much time on something that matters so little to me. I didn’t care about what you looked like under the mask. I was really only thinking about it for novelties’ sake.” Rhys started to explain, looking directly into Zer0’s pale blue eyes, “It didn’t change my feelings for you when I first found out you weren’t human, and it definitely didn’t change them now.” 

Zer0 looked at Rhys fondly, their eyes bright and filled with something Rhys could only describe as  _ love _ . For the third time that day, Rhys’ breath was taken away. It was one thing see the emoticons on their mask (which would likely be a “<3” right now), but to be able to actually  _ see _ Zer0’s emotions that were underneath their mask was an entirely new experience. In times like this, Rhys wished he could draw, if only to capture the subtle quirk of their lips, to the way the sun reflected off of their eyes, or the way their face lit up like the stars they gazed at together. Instead, he opted to capture that look in his mind, so that he would never forget. 

\--

Zer0 fidgeted slightly under his gaze. A teasing remark found its way to their lips, but Zer0 quickly swallowed the words. They couldn't help but notice the almost solemn look on Rhys’ face, his eyes no longer sparkling like they were before. 

“Stop with that face, Rhys.” said Zer0. Rhys’ face fell, eyebrows furrowed with worry. 

“What?”

“I meant like you’ll never see/My face again, Rhys.” Zer0 quickly amended, pushing Rhys’ cheeks up with their fingers to make him smile again. Soon enough, a genuine smile pulled at Rhys lips as he laughed at the somewhat odd gesture. 

“So this isn’t going to be the last time I see your face?” Rhys asked, distracted.

“No, far from the last.” Zer0 shook their head. 

Instead of answering, Rhys pulled Zer0 down to lie on the couch with him. His arms were wrapped around their thin figure immediately, as he buried his face into the crook of their neck. Zer0 simply held him close, resting their head atop of Rhys’ head, as their fingers untangled the knots in his hair. Zer0 felt warm, a small smile playing at their lips when they heard Rhys’ muffled snores. Suddenly feeling weary, Zer0’s eyes slid shut as sleep overcame their senses. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> in case you guys didn't catch it, spring loaded bullets came from the turrets in portal. also, the lime green abomination of a sweater that krieg wears in this fic is actually one of his skins: WARM AND TOASTY (it's amazing i use it all the time)
> 
> thank you for reading!


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